Without a clear and organized view of where and how entrepreneurship manifests itself, policy makers have been left in uncharted waters without an analytical compass. The purpose of this book is to provide such an analytical compass for directing how public policy can shape and promote entrepreneurship. We do this in two ways. The first is to provide a framework for policymakers and scholars to understand what determines entrepreneurship. The second is to apply this framework to a series of cases, or country studies. In particular, this book seeks to answer three questions about entrepreneurship: What has happened over time? Why did it happen? And, what has been the role of government policy? The cornerstone of the book is the proposed Eclectic Theory of Entrepreneurship. The goal of the Eclectic Theory is to provide a unified framework for understanding and analyzing the determinants of entrepreneurship. The Eclectic Theory of entrepreneurship integrates the different strands from relevant fields into a unifying, coherent framework. At the heart of the Eclectic Theory is the integration of factors shaping the demand for entrepreneurship on the one hand, with those influencing the supply of entrepreneurs on the other hand. The key to understanding the role of public policy is through identifying those channels shifting either the demand for or the supply of entrepreneurship by policy instruments. The findings in this book show that, by utilizing the framework provided by the Eclectic Theory of Entrepreneurship, it is within the grasp of policymakers to identify the determinants of entrepreneurship in a particular country setting at a particular point in time. This will be essential in formulating new public policies to promote entrepreneurship and, ultimately, economic growth, job creation and international competitiveness.

In the study of entrepreneurship there has been little interaction between economic theory and history. For the first time a single volume combines analyses of leading specialists from both disciplines. It examines the ways theory and historical evidence can be linked, how economic theory can contribute to improving the historical interpretation of entrepreneurship, and significant thematic aspects of the history of entrepreneurship. Conceptual analyses are fused with historical archive-based work, reflecting the current state of the art and new directions in research.

Entrepreneurship Policy: Theory and Practice is the first book to fully analyze the construction of entrepreneurship policy, a rapidly-evolving area of policy about which little is known. From a study and assessment of the practices of governments in thirteen countries in Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific, this book fully describes the policy area and shares new tools and methods for better understanding and explaining the why and how of an entrepreneurship policy approach. Unlike other research in the field of entrepreneurship where implications from research findings are used to suggest what policy actions should be taken to increase the level of entrepreneurship in an economy, this study is based on what entrepreneurship policy actions are being taken. This is a unique book in the field which points to the way forward both for policymakers and for the research community in terms of thinking about entrepreneurship policy and the complex issues surrounding its development.

This timely book analyses the emergence of new firms in a broad context where economics, management and sociological approaches may be joined for a new perspective. The Entrepreneurial Society reveals that the market benefits of an entrepreneurial economy are evident in the new technology that has been made available to consumers over the past ten to 20 years. It illustrates that entrepreneurial firms provide the market with innovations that create new products and, in turn, generate new employment and tax revenue, thus playing a critical role in surviving the economic crisis. The expert contributors explore the diverse conditions that explain, permit and support entrepreneurship, allowing thinking outside the box and enhancing breakthrough innovations. At a time when new challenges relating to the ecological footprint are appearing, this work will prove crucial. The eclectic approaches to entrepreneurship within this book, gathered from different countries and fields of research, will prove to be hotly sought after by researchers and postgraduate students of entrepreneurship and social policy.

Continuous improvements in business environments and available resources have allowed more opportunities for people to pursue new ventures. This not only leads to higher success in new businesses, but it enhances the overall state of the global market. Entrepreneurship: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications provides a comprehensive examination on the latest innovations and techniques to becoming a successful and sustainable entrepreneur. Including research-based studies on knowledge production, social entrepreneurship, and distribution, this multi-volume publication is an ideal source for practitioners, academicians, researchers and upper-level students interested in learning about entrepreneurship and seeking emerging perspectives on optimizing and enhancing entrepreneurial pursuits.

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This book celebrates the contributions of David B. Audretsch, Distinguished Professor at the School of Public and Environment Affairs (SPEA) at Indiana University (USA), co-founder and co-editor of Small Business Economics, and former Director of the Entrepreneurship, Growth and Public Policy Group at the erstwhile Max Planck Institute of Economics (Jena, Germany). For his pioneering work, which explores the links between entrepreneurship, government policy, innovation, economic development, and global competitiveness, he has received the 2001 Global Award for Entrepreneurship Research from the Swedish Foundation for Small Business Research and the 2011 Schumpeter Prize from the University of Wuppertal (Germany). This volume features original contributions from over 50 leading scholars to map, analyze and evaluate the impact of Audretsch’s research on a broad spectrum of research fields, ranging from economics to entrepreneurship and geography. The development and evolution of key ideas which have significantly shaped theory and future research across these fields are also explored.

The entrepreneur has been neglected over the years in formal economic theorizing. Previously there has been only eclectic theories such as human capital theory and network dynamics which discuss certain perspectives of entrepreneurial behaviour. This insightful book closes this gap in entrepreneurship literature. Inspired by modern physics, author Thomas Grebel brings together an evolutionary methodology, along the way implicating quantum, graph, and percolation theory. Here, Grebel has provided a synthesis of all the main theories of entrepreneurship. Taking an interdisciplinary approach to the subject, this fascinating book opens up new ideas in modelling and the original thinking contained within will be of interest to all those working in the area of business and management as well as those in economics.

Entrepreneurship has significant impacts on a nation’s economic infrastructure. Discovering new ways to promote entrepreneurial growth within undervalued communities can help ensure financial growth, as well as provide a boost to the current economy. Evolving Entrepreneurial Strategies for Self-Sustainability in Vulnerable American Communities is an essential scholarly resource that identifies initiatives for entrepreneurs in underdeveloped areas to utilize. Featuring pertinent topics that include poverty reduction, informal investment, and social entrepreneurship, this reference publication is ideal for academicians, students, entrepreneurs, business owners, and researchers that are seeking innovative strategies to boost the economy and provide more jobs across the nation.